Slurpee seekers may have to wait
Supervisor favors putting the breaks on new convenience stores in town
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Opponents of the proposed Mattituck 7-Eleven store, such as the woman who took her canine companion to the recent protest rally, continued to press their case at Town Hall this week.
"I would support putting a moratorium in progress right now," the said supervisor, triggering a round of applause.
After discussion, the board agreed to put the moratorium on the agenda for its Nov. 3 meeting. This move came after a public hearing on proposed legislation that would limit the size and uses of convenience stores attached to gas stations.
Councilman Al Krupski said the legislation was limited to the gas station variety, because the board was not able to define convenience stores in such a way that would prevent something like a 7-Eleven from circumventing the code. The Mattituck 7-Eleven would replace a gas station, not be part of one.
"Just by placing a small grill in the store, suddenly it's not a convenience store anymore," Mr. Krupski said. "The problems with trying to address this were enormous."
Councilman Vincent Orlando added that the board was trying to be careful to not hurt existing convenience stores with a new law. But Mr. Russell said he was disappointed in the current legislation on the table and the process the board went through to draft it.
"We could have made a better effort to address this issue," he said. "When McDonald's came in 1993, we drafted formula food code. When CVS came, we drafted box store code. I probably sound hypocritical here --¬ I go to Southold 7-Eleven every five minutes -- but [Mattituck] is a bad spot for a bad use."
For Greenport resident Melanie Norden, Mr. Russell's opinion was not enough, and the board's "very limited" proposed law was "absolutely ludicrous."
"This is very bad planning and absolutely unacceptable," she said. "I'm not asking you for spot legislation; I'm asking for comprehensive legislation that will address convenience stores not attached to gas stations."
Many North Fork residents have expressed opposition over the past few months to the 7-Eleven in Mattituck, which if approved would take the place of a Citgo gas station at an intersection several people label as already dangerous.
They have spoken at Town Board and Planning Board meetings, signed petitions and protested outside the Citgo station. The 24-hour 7-Eleven, they say, would create traffic congestion, litter and a noisy late-night hangout.
"This is our third Town Board meeting -- how do we stop something we don't want?" asked Art Tillman, a Mattituck resident and Democratic Party official who organized last week's protest outside Citgo. "At first, the Planning Board seemed against the 7-Eleven, now it's almost as if some members are advocating it," he said. "What is the role of the Planning Board? I don't know what kind of communication or lack of communication goes on here."
Though some board members favored waiting to draft legislation on convenience stores to include in the town's comprehensive plan, Ms. Norden described that approach as too little, too late.
"By then, the 7-Eleven will be located in Mattituck," she said. "This is a time-bound argument. People from all walks of life have expressed their concerns. Don't just say you are going to front load this into a master plan."
eschultz@timesreview.com
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